The Last Fire
by Woodlawn
Summary: After years of planning a coup with the Uchiha, Danzo makes his move. Everything seemed to move perfectly according to plan - Konoha was his to rule. Too bad he didn't expect that Naruto would try and steal the scroll of sealing that very day. Itachi evades the joint assassination attempt on him by Uchiha and ROOT, and escapes the village with Sasuke, vowing to bring Danzo down.


**A/N:** I don't own Naruto. Because if I did, I wouldn't be writing fanfics based on it.

This story is based on the Challenge idea of Igor0031.

Another word - Don't judge this fic by reading just the first chapter. Why? Because the first chapter is nothing but fight-fight-fight-kill-kill and run. The real story starts from chapter two.

* * *

**~-T H E****–**L A S T**–**F I R E-~

* * *

**Chapter One**

"**Fire, Steel and Blood"**

* * *

**Danzo**

**S**himura Danzo was walking inside the Uchiha Compound for the first time in months. He had been foolishly, like many other high ranking officials, thinking that the loyalty to the late Fourth Hokage would have kept the clan in check.

Many things had changed in Konoha since its founding, the old ANBU commander thought bitterly, but the stupid pride of the Uchiha had stayed exactly the same. They were a ticking bomb. Maybe the Third Hokage was right, maybe the matter could have been solved peacefully. But Danzo wasn't going to let traitors roam freely in his Village in the next years.

Three years from now... Ten years from now... The time didn't matter sooner or later they were going to revolt against their Village. The place that had housed them for longer than it did for anybody else! They had to be killed. Any treat to Konoha had to be removed. And to be removed in such a way that it would never harm the Village again.

The Hokage had forgotten his own teachings. He was always saying, in that grandfatherly voice he had developed during the years, to be cautious. Cautious! The Uchiha, one of the founding clans of Konoha, were going to attack the Village from inside and their leader, the fearless leader who had led them two victory in Two Great Shinobi Wars, wanted to be cautious.

It was during one of the endless meeting that the so called Small Council, made by the Hokage and his most trusted advisers, was having on the matter that Danzo Shimura understood something: _The Hokage was a threat to Konoha._ And every threat to Konoha had to be removed in such a way it would never harm the Village again.

The Uchiha Coup had been just what he needed to be put over the edge. And it offered him also the perfect opportunity and the perfect plan.

He will use them. He will use the Uchiha to obtain what he was meant to have. His righteous place as the Hokage.

It had been easy to convince Hiruzen to let him treat with the Uchiha. He had only to tell him that, for being the leader of the strongest shinobi force in the Village, both in numbers and in strength, he was far more threatening than the Hokage to them.

"We will show mercy, but also power. And it won't bide well for us if you talk to them, Hiruzen... They will think that the Hokage would accept every demands they will make. We will show them that Konoha won't hesitate to end the whole clan. Only if it's necessary, of course."

And that was it. Shimura Danzo was to discuss peace with the traitors. Inside his own Village!

Steeling himself for what he was going to do Danzo, for the first time, spared a glance towards the young man who was escorting him to the Nawako Shrine. For his plan to be successful he had to sacrifice the only ninja he deemed praiseworthy in the whole clan. Ironically that ninja was walking Danzo himself towards the meeting that will seal his own fate.

Uchiha Itachi was the best ninja in the younger generation, and so obviously he had to be escorted by him. It was to show strength, but also to let the ANBU commander that the Uchiha weren't proud for no reasons. They kept on sprouting one fighter after another.

But Itachi had been able to see the treachery in his clan once, maybe he will be able to do so again. But a few chosen words, and the fact that as an ANBU the boy was still working under him, should be enough to cover his tracks.

"How are you enjoying life in the ANBU, Itachi-san?"

"I am not an ANBU, honourable councilman. You are mistaken."

"I am also the ANBU commander, Itachi. I know my soldiers."

"I didn't know that. But still, I am not an ANBU."

"Just the right answers. Hide your beastly face to bite the enemies of Konoha harder. That's our role Itachi, protect Konoha. And I will always do whatever is in my power to protect Konoha."

The walk was silent from that moment on. They parted in front of the Nawako Shrine, the place where the Elders held their silly little meetings.

It was a testament to how much Hiruzen had fallen that he never suspected what was going through Danzo's head. During the wars Hiruzen was able to smell a double play from miles away. Now his enemy was so close to him to breathe the same air, eat the same food, drink the same tea and yet he hadn't been able to spot him.

A far cry from the ninja he had been. Every day that passed Danzo started to notice little details and line of thoughts that weren't fit for a ninja. And certainly not for the most powerful shinobi in the most powerful Village in the World.

He had protected the Village from the shadows, thinking that the shadows were his place. But when Konoha would have needed him Danzo would be right there, doing whatever was necessary.

Hiruzen had to die and the Village had to be ruled by someone that understood what has to be done. Someone that had seen what a shinobi must do to protect his home. Someone like him. Truthfully Danzo had had musings like this for the past forty years, when Tobirama had chosen Hiruzen instead of him as the Hokage.

When he got inside he found the three Elders, seated peacefully over comfortable cushions, having tea. Uchiha Fugaku was in a martial stand, trying to look menacing. He was failing miserably.

He was no Madara Uchiha, a man so powerful to be something more closer to a God than he was to mere mortals. Hell, he was no Itachi Uchiha. The teenage genius had become far stronger than his father when he was just thirteen.

He wasn't a threat to Danzo Shimura, leader of ROOT. And the Uchiha weren't a threat to the Village. A bit irritated by the blatant show of disrespect Danzo set to the business of making them remember who held the power in Konoha.

Uchiha Fugaku found himself staring at a kunai pointed at his throat. Danzo had been fast, too fast for the Uchiha to react. One of the Elder screamed. Another started talking.

"What are you doing?! The Hokage will hear of this, be certain of that, Danzo!"

"The Hokage hears a greater deal than what you thing he does, Uchiha."

The last word was far more threatening than the kunai pointed at Fugaku's neck. He tossed the Clan Leader aside like a child does with a broken toy. He was nothing more than that. The show of power Fugaku was here to do had failed miserably.

The Elders were frightened now. The single eye visible on Danzo's face was sending them icy glares.

"We know, honourable Elders. We have known since you started planning this silly Coup. The Hokage's pity has kept you alive. That pity is now wearing thin."

The Uchiha were lost. They hadn't expected the Hokage to know, obviously. But how had this information reached the Hokage? The meetings had been only between trusted members of the Clan. Any new member had his loyalty to the Uchiha tested in deep.

However, the 'how' wasn't the point, they could have been dead for months now. The simple fact that they were still alive had to mean that the Hokage wanted to pardon them.

It was the love and a shred of loyalty to his dear friend that stopped Danzo from acting at the very beginning. He was hiding in the shadows, desperately hoping that Hiruzen would once again become the ninja and leader he once was. It was very saddening to say that Hiruzen would no longer confront his enemy head first. Unlike Danzo, Hiruzen had grown used to the peace after the last war, hoping that the warring days of shinobi were over.

But, Hiruzen never knew, how many wars the ROOT had stopped before they came to light; how many clans and shinobi divisions were massacred; the frustrated minor daimyos assassinated. Hiruzen knew nothing! The ROOT had stopped the uprisings of the Fourth Great Ninja wars countless times!

It was deeply saddening for Danzo to kill his only true friend. But, Hiruzen had to be killed because Danzo loved Konoha even more.

But, after all these years, now was not the time for Danzo to dwell on such thoughts, the dream of a powerful and strong Konoha that dwarfed the rest of the villages. It was time to make that dream a reality. Now was the time to act!

He eyed the fearful Uchiha with spite.

"It is your pride, your stupid pride that had led you to this. But you must have seen the problems that our current leadership had put the Village in. Kumo amasses shinobi! Has two jinchuruki, my spies tell me, which could easily overpower our own! How far is Konoha from Iwa, which had been forced to use mercenaries just to survive?"

"We get your point, councilman."

"And so you must see the reason in my proposition: overthrow the Hokage."

"You still want the Coup?"

"Not yours, mine. Yours is the single most idiotic piece of warfare I've ever seen. It will be far in the future. But, Konoha will have the strong leadership it needs."

Danzo could see the greed in their faces. Two of them, actually. One of them seemed to have still a bit of sense, somewhere between all that pride.

"Don't be stupid. Have you seen where all your greed had led us? Struck between a rock and a hard place. We can obtain a pardon from the Hokage. Let's forget this ugly plan and start living peacefully in our home."

That councilman, Gintama was his name, was far too smart to live. He will be dead within the week, Danzo will make sure of that. In his eyes, he could see the fear of a man who knew he was going to be tricked. The other two, however, were greedy and prideful. Two weakness he could exploit easily.

It was almost pitiful, almost. How far the great Clans had fallen... The Senju weren't even a shadow of their great past; the only member a drunkard and a gambler. The Uzumaki were dead for everyone but the historians.

And the Uchiha were soon to be lost in their own games of power.

"I offer you a choice. Help me and live or don't help me and... die. If I don't have your help I will go the Hokage. I will tell him you have chosen war. And you will be destroyed."

"I will go to the Hokage too. It will be your word against mine!"

"And who will he believe? Me, a friend he knows since he was a boy, or you, the instigator of Coup d'état?"

Danzo had won. The Uchiha had to do what he wanted, or they would lose every hope of survival.

Another Elder spoke, "Let's hear your plan, then."

"I have some ANBU under my direct command, ROOT. ROOT will grow in every structure in Konoha. Men loyal to our cause will be put in the right positions and, when it's the right time, we will strike. It will take time, years. The Hokage's murder will be easily blamed on someone else, a squad from Iwa... or even Orochimaru. I will be the next Hokage and the Uchiha will be rewarded greatly for their help."

Danzo could see their egos grow with his last words. Pride, the greatest of the Uchiha's weakness. A name of a ninja says nothing about his power in combat or his intelligence.

Hatake was the name of a disgraced minor clan. And yet the only surviving member could use the sharingan better than most Uchiha. Jiraya and Namikaze were both orphans. No family to help them and yet they had been the two greatest ninja of the generations after Danzo's one. Despite their pity towards the enemy, Danzo thought bitterly. Maito Gai, a man who was unable to use chakra, had grown to be a taijutsu genius in the whole world, his speed unable to be tracked even with the sharingan.

A name of a Shinobi says nothing on his strength or on his intelligence. And the Uchiha's intelligence wasn't much indeed, since they accepted his proposal. They spent a few more minutes talking about the plan. And then it was a deal.

Before leaving Danzo spoke once again.

"Remember: you hate me. I hate you. You hate the man that discovered your plan, I hate the traitors. Don't try and find me, my men will find you. And, most importantly, none of this should be heard by Uchiha Itachi."

"Why? Uchiha Itachi is one of our greatest shinobi! He could be useful!"

"To the Hokage. He could be useful to the Hokage. He's loyal to him."

Shimura Danzo turned and walked away, leaving behind him a destroyed father and three men who had unknowingly sealed their Clan's fate.

* * *

**Itachi**

Itachi was reading alone in his rented room seated on his bed, when he felt a sudden spike of chakra trying to get into his system. It was a very good genjutsu. If he had been asleep it would have certainly put him out of whatever fight was coming after him.

"It had finally come to this," Itachi muttered, snapping the book shut. The Uchiha had come for him.

Five years ago, when he had heard from Shisui that the Uchiha had stopped their traitorous plan he had been happy. Happier than he had been in years. He had smiled like a fool for five days. He had even had a date with his fiancée, Akane.

His happiness had lasted five days. Then his father had asked to see him. And his father had told him that he knew of his betrayal. That he knew that Itachi had been talking with the Hokage since the start of their plan, seven months before. While his father screamed, spitting his rage on his son's face, Itachi had been motionless.

The last words his father had spoken to him had been: "Maybe you are wondering why I haven't told you before... It's because I didn't know if I could have stopped myself from snapping your neck in two. Now go, you are not an Uchiha. Not anymore."

The tears of his mother had moved him, but not his father. She had tried to convince him to let his son stay in his childhood home, but Itachi had to leave. And so he left.

Everyone had turned his back on him after that. Shisui, his best friend, didn't meet him anymore. Though even his intentions have been the same as Itachi, he didn't have any choice but to pretend to despise him. If they met in the Village he spat at his feet. His attempt to prevent a Civil War had been a personal offence to Akane. Go figure.

Only Sasuke and his mother kept on talking with him. Sasuke risking every sort of punishment to see his big brother, his mother fighting every day with his father because she kept on worrying about her son.

Truthfully only thanks to them Itachi hadn't fled the Village and started living the life of a missing nin. Thanks to them and the book he was reading.

The book had been gifted to him by the Hokage. The kind old man had given it to him, sensing Itachi's increasing depression. The Hokage had told him that, as far as Hiruzen himself knew, the 'Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi' was the best description of what a Konoha's ninja should been.

Between the pages Itachi had found what his meaning was. Endure.

And so he endured every spit, every mockery, every lonely day.

He sighed, closing his eyes and leaning his head forward. But for the Uchiha his pain wasn't enough. They were coming for him.

He barely finished the thought when the windows in his room shattered and three black blurs landed before him.

He opened his eyes to reveal the Sharingan. He recognized one of the chakra signatures. "Hello, Shisui."

The other two, Itachi noticed, were dressed as ANBU.

Itachi frowned. What is this? Why would the Hokage want to kill him?

He jumped just time to see a tanto impale the wall where he sat before. The ringing noise it made echoed around the room.

Landing a few feet behind the trio, Itachi, in his mind's eye saw another man who had influence over the ANBU.

"Danzo sent you?" Itachi asked Shisui, who had his face covered under the hood of the cloak he wore.

Shisui twitched his arm and two kunai slipped down the sleeve of the cloak; and he grabbed them between his fingers. "Time to die," He muttered and flung the Kunai, not at Itachi, but at his own men.

The ANBU were caught unawares as the Kunai neatly lodged themselves behind their necks. Without making a sound, they crumpled to the floor, dead.

Itachi met Shisui's sharingan glare. "You are right. It is Danzo. He has allied with the Uchiha, they are going to kill the Hokage, tonight."

Itachi had many questions, but on the verge of this destruction, he chose not to ask them. Without a word, he shot out of the broken windows towards the Uchiha Clan compound, with Shisui following behind. He had to see his father.

"I was being watched," Shisui said, when he caught up with Itachi. "They were watching _all _the former spies, sorry if I was out of touch. "

Itachi only nodded in acknowledgement.

"The Uchiha knew nothing of Danzo's plans, he always kept them in the dark. He just gave them orders and kept them moving. He ordered them to be battle ready at all times. Even, the Uchiha didn't know of the attack and the plan just until five hours ago. And Danzo gave orders to wipe out all his previous operatives who were aware of the plans, but there was only one who fit in that category: you."

They jumped over a particularly wide street and landed on the building opposite.

"These five years Danzo had infiltrated all the Konoha divisions. So we can't trust anyone we see, even if its someone we know."

"But, I can trust you?" Itachi asked emotionlessly. It was not like Itachi suspected Shisui of foul play. But, it had been over five years since he spoke to his friend.

Shisui simply smiled. "Did you hear nothing? Do not trust anyone. Not even me."

They landed on a building and stopped as the compound came into view.

Itachi narrowed his eyes, his sharingan was picking up many chakra signatures. But, he wasn't able to pick many chakra signatures from the Uchiha's compound.

The Sharingan wasn't able to see for miles like the Byakugan, but it was able to see chakra. The Uchiha's Compound, thanks to all the ninjas living there, often seemed like a giant beacon. The chakra almost like a moving flame around the buildings.

Now it was as dark as the night.

They ran to the Compound. When he arrived there he found it almost empty. The Uchiha that were there, mostly green Genin or old Jounin, kept on giving him mocking glares.

The Uchiha fighting force must have moved out of the compound. Ready to attack the Hokage tower and kill the Hokage.

Itachi's next action would be to race to the Hokage Tower, but he went in the direction of his father's house.

"Warn the Hokage," Itachi said to Shisui. "I'll join you as soon as I check on Sasuke and my mother."

Before Shisui could reply, the duo suddenly stopped as they noticed something else. They spotted many suppressed chakra signatures slowly strengthening. Suddenly the gate of the compound slammed shut. The silencing seals spread through the entire compound.

Then they came into view, one by one. Stoic, unmoving and deadly, crouched on the poles and standing on the buildings. At least one hundred ROOT materialized over the entire compound, looking down at the Uchiha.

Without warning they started to attack every Uchiha in sight.

Shisui engaged the nearest ROOT. "I should've known," He muttered as he trapped the man in a genjutsu and dug his blade into him. "Danzo never leaves loose ends."

So that was the plan. Use the Uchiha and dispose the Uchiha.

"Sasuke," Itachi muttered, horrified as the ROOT started to massacre the Uchiha in the compound. "Mother…"

"Get them out," Shisui ordered. He looked furious as he beheaded a ROOT and impaled another in the same strike.

Itachi twisted the arm of the ROOT attacking him with a tanto blade and with the same momentum directed the blade into the enemy's solar plexus. He dropped the dead man and faced Shisui.

"I'll be back to help," Itachi promised, and without waiting for a reply, he stormed into his childhood home. The sounds of fighting and screams were drowned out.

He found Sasuke lying on the floor, unconscious. He would've stopped to check on him if his eyes hadn't caught the blood splattered across the bamboo paper door a few feet before him.

He approached it slowly, and with trembling hands he slid it open. "Kaa-san…" He whispered.

He found his mother lying on the kitchen's floor on a pool of blood. She was still alive. From the floor she directed her eyes at him, and smiled. "It..Itachi-kun."

"Mother," his voice seemed was dead when he spoke. He fell to his knees beside her. As tears rolled freely from his eyes he felt just like a helpless toddler.

He eyed the wound. It didn't come from a ROOT weapon. Itachi knew the cut. It was from his father's Katana.

Rage coursed through Itachi's veins.

"He had no choice Itachi," Mikoto said, wincing as the wound sent her heavy jolts of pain. "It was probably the hardest thing he had to do in his life… He needed leverage he could use against Danzo." She coughed once, spraying blood. She looked into his eyes with strange determination. "He needed the mangekyo sharingan."

He gritted his teeth as caressed her cheek, as his tears fell on her smiling face, "I..I'll – "

"You don't have to do anything, Itachi," She spoke. Her sweat covered face, was slowly losing color. "Just, take care…of Sasuke…"

Slowly, her eyes lost focus and she was left staring at the ceiling. Her eyes unblinking.

He felt like screaming. But Itachi never screamed. He was a shadow, a silent assassin; his father and then the ANBU had made sure of that. Fighting down the tears in his eyes and the lump forming in his throat, he closed her eyes.

He stayed like that for a few seconds, until the clashes of steel and the screams of pain snapped him out of his daze.

Quickly jumping to his feet, he shot out of the room, and in one motion broke the neck of the ROOT who was leaning over his unconscious brother, holding a kunai. Collecting Sasuke and carrying him over his back he shot out of the door.

The streets were littered with bodies, the blood coloring the whole street red. Kunai, shuriken, tanto and other blades were also scattered all over the compound. Itachi also noticed a few houses on fire. The Nawako Shrine was almost destroyed. He absently noted the flickers of the Shushin of the ROOT killing the Uchiha, old and young, without hesitation and without mercy.

Shisui was nowhere to be found.

Asking someone else for help was impossible. Who could he trust?

The only thing he could do was leaving the Village. Surviving out Konoha's walls was going to be far easier than surviving inside the walls; at least for an Uchiha.

He knew that Danzo had a history of using men for his own purposes and, after whatever needed to be done was actually done, tossing them aside. As easily as one toss aside a broken kunai.

He surveyed the ongoing massacre.

Just like Danzo was doing now, tossing away the useless Uchiha who were not taking part in the Coup; and after the coup, tossing aside the Uchiha he used.

Ninjas weren't the most honorable of people, but they had rules. Konoha, the Konoha ruled by the law of their ancestors, had a history of sticking to its word. Danzo spat on their traditions with his own very existence.

"Goodbye, mother," he whispered, staring at the full moon in the sky.

On his back Sasuke started to move. Before he completely revived Itachi pressed his brother's forehead with his index finger. "Not now, little brother," He whispered as Sasuke's eyes closed again as the genjutsu took effect.

Despite the turmoil of feelings inside his head Itachi steeled himself. Itachi never lost his focus. His training in the ANBU had made sure of that.

"Endure," Itachi remembered himself. And he darted forward towards the village gates, carrying his brother.

* * *

**Fugaku**

The plan was too risky.

The success rate depended on not only him, but every member of the Uchiha clan and ROOT taking part in the revolt. Every minute was precious, even if a second was wasted, it could spell the doom for the entire revolting force. The plan was mainly based on stealth, clockwork and precision.

Fugaku checked his watch for the tenth time that minute, his sharingan activated, predicting the ticking movement of the seconds needle. Four more minutes to go.

The ANBU guards around the Hokage tower had been called off and replaced with ROOT, the councilman has those powers. In this late hour, the Hokage tower will be almost empty, save a few Hokage's personal ANBU and a handful of late working Jounin or Chunin. All the regular ANBU and Jounin were posted at least ten miles away from the Hokage tower. A genjutsu was also placed around the tower along with special silencing seals.

There were instructions given to the regular Jounin and the ANBU to maintain radio silence, but just to be on the safe side, the radio dispatch in the Hokage tower were scrambled by Danzo's subordinates to direct the messages to their own ROOT base.

Three more minutes to go.

Fugaku and his team of fifty other Uchiha, along with Thirty ROOT were, crouched or standing on the various buildings surrounding the tower. There were also five teams of ROOT guarding various entrances and gates of the tower. They were all wearing the special ANBU camouflage seals, which made them invisible and suppressed their chakra to even lower levels than that of a civilian. From where Fugaku stood, he could see the shadow of the Hokage in his office, by the look of things there were someone else in the room.

Danzo had firmly stated that, they must not be the ones to confront the Hokage, but only act as his back-up and support while he himself does it.

Two more minutes to go.

"Adjust your timers," Fugaku whispered into the radio, under their own special frequency. "Thirty seconds to the ground level of tower. Activate them on the signal."

There was no response, but Fugaku was sure that his order has been carried out. He adjusted his watch, revolving the timer. The seconds needle pointed straight upwards.

But, just before the entire plan was about spring into action, Fugaku, envisioned the aftermath if they won. He smiled.

The Uchiha will rise to the glory again! True, Danzo would have the upper hand, but it would be surely better than it was now. Sasuke will be his true heir, yes, Fugaku will see to it that Sasuke developed a blinding loyality to the Clan, unlike his older brother.

Fugaku blinked.

Mikoto…he didn't remember meeting her before he came here. Strange. He promised that he would definitely meet her before the Coup, because he might not make it home.

Frowning, he checked his palm. He blinked as he spotted a seal shaped like a tomoe.

It was a memory suppressing seal of the Uchiha design that shinobi use on themselves, to suppress a particular memory that may affect the shinobi on the battlefield.

What is the memory, so traumatizing that he had to use this seal?

Fugaku was sorely tempted to prick the seal and let the memories flow.

No, he shook his head.

It must me something about Itachi, yes, his treacherous, backstabbing son. Maybe, Itachi tried to stop him and the tables were turned. Yes, that must be it.

_One minute to go._

He readied himself, eyes on the watch. He waited.

_Ten…nine…eight..._

Fugaku charged his feet with chakra, ready to make a jump,

…_six…five…_

His eyes were focused on the top of the tower.

…_three…_

There was some movement on the tower.

…_two…_

Fugaku gulped.

…_one._

There was blink of green light and it suddenly went off just fast as it came.

That was their cue. The Uchiha and ROOT leapt into action.

His heart thudding madly in his cheat, Fugaku raced to the tower entrance, with the other revolters behind him. The seals deactivated as they moved, slowly making the shinobi coming into focus, one after the other.

The doors seemed to open on their own will as they approached. They shot in quickly, scattering in their designated directions.

"Twenty seconds," He spoke into the radio.

He drew his sword, and plunged into the first ninja he came across. It was a Chuunin. Before the he opened his mouth to scream, Fugaku cupped it close with his palm before the man made a noise. He pulled out the sword, making the blood spray on the floor and took off to the next floor in a blurry speed. Just as he crossed the stairway, the Chuunin behind, fell on the ground with a _thud. _Dead.

The Uchiha and ROOT moved quickly across the floors, engaging the ANBU and Jounin they came across in battle.

"Katon: Housenka no Justsu!" an ANBU guard yelled, as he spat out bursts of fire at a ROOT member, the root evaded them, but the last one caught him straight in the chest.

There were shouts of many Justus and screams of pain. A Jounin was trying the radio. "Code Black, Code Black, the tower is under attack. Come in base four." He fiddled it, frustrated as he got no response. "Base Four, COME IN DAMMIT! Fuck! Sution: Ryu- _guh!" _A suddenly blade grew out of his throat, courtesy of a ROOT behind him. His eyes wide, he fell dead. The ROOT drew the sword out and engaged the next enemy.

Fugaku, after putting down a Jounin, turned his eyes across the second floor. There were almost twenty-five corpses. He counted fourteen causalities on his side. Eleven of them Uchiha.

A few seconds later, just as his watch beeped once, the fighting on the floor stopped.

"First floor, secured." a ROOT spoke in the radio. "Set your timers, one minute."

They obeyed the order.

With that Fugaku with the rest of the revolters, charged to the next floor, except five of their own who stood watch at various positions.

Just as Fugaku entered the next floor and saw his next target- a Chuunin. He made one mistake that he and the others swore not to do during the attack: He hesitated.

It was Urimo Iruka, Sasuke's instructor. Though Fugaku had no major attachment with the man, he held a soft spot for this Chuunin whose tutelage resulted in Sasuke being the best in his year.

First Iruka seemed to be shocked on seeing the drawn blades covered in blood, and the ROOT and Uchiha, who were killing everyone in sight. But, he unlike the others didn't engage them in battle. With a whisper of, "Hokage-sama…Naruto…" He turned heel and shot towards the next floor.

"DAMN IT!" Fugaku roared, and shot after him. If Iruka reached the Hokage before Danzo, the plan will be screwed!

Jumping across the stairs, he slashed a random ANBU who came out to engage him, there was a hiss of pain. Not waiting to finish him off, he kept running. Fugaku was sure that the revolters following behind him would engage the ANBU. His main target was Iruka.

Just as he landed on the third floor, he spotted Iruka, running ahead, who turned once to glare at him.

If it had not been for his sharingan, Fugaku would have been chopped to pieces at the speed he was charging by the cleverly concealed ninja-wire.

Charging his feet with chakra, he jumped over the trap in a diving motion. Landing on his hands he filliped once and crouched. A second later he was speeding behind the Chuunin again.

He was running past the long arch of glass windows that faced the village. Fugaku, absently noted that their attack went unnoticed by the rest of the village. As per the plan…

Iruka came into focus along the long line of windows. Taking a careful aim, with his sharingan aiding him. Fugaku flung his sword at the Chunin with all his might.

The sword slashed through the air. A second later there was a sound of metal shredding flesh.

With a scream of pain, Iruka fell to his knees, the sword pierced through his back and coming out from his mid-section.

The radio activated_. "Second floor secured,"_ It said. _"Set your, timers, twenty seconds."_

Fugaku walked with no hurry towards the Chuunin.

"_Third floor secured. Set your timers, fifteen seconds."_

Fugaku had arrived beside Iruka, without warning he pulled out the blade out of the Chuunin's back, resulting in his scream again.

"Scream all you want, Iruka." Fugaku said, as he wiped the blood off the sword on Iruka's Flak jacket. "The soundproof seals all mask the noises in the tower."

Iruka was trembling, and not out of fear. His eyes were of pure rage, but they did not meet Fugaku's sharingan. Very wise. "What the hell are-," A series of coughs raked his body, making him vomit blood. "…are you…doing?" His every gasp of breath seemed painful.

"_Fourth floor secured. Hawk has arrived. Final perimeter sealed."_

So, Danzo arrived, Fugaku thought. His work was done, and there was no hurry. Just like Clockwork.

Fugaku placed his blade on the Chuunin's shoulder, threateningly close to the throat. "That's above the pay grade of cannon fodder like you."

"So, no-one's hearing the fight, because of the seals you say." Iruka said abruptly. "So that's why-"- _cough- "_-no-one's arrived…" He smiled.

Fugaku frowned as he saw with his sharingan, Iruka's chakra suddenly condense.

"What are yo-"

Before he could even finish the line, Iruka's eyes shot open and Fugaku saw the attack hit him before it even came. All he could do was dodge.

"KATON: GOKHAKYUU NO JUTSU!"

The massive fireball went overhead Fugaku, completely missing him. Before he could feel relieved, he understood the true intention of the chunin's attack.

_The attack was not for him…._

Lying on the ground, Fugaku watched hopelessly as the massive fireball shot through the corridor, along the arch of glass windows. There were sounds of shattering glass as the fire burst out of the tower, the red inferno raging out of the windows, for a second the light from the violent flames seemed to engulf the entire village in false daylight. The genjutsu had broken, the seals – useless.

…_It was to alert Konoha._

Behind him, the academy instructor fell dead, a victorious smile etched on his face.

* * *

**Sarutobi**

"... I must say, Naruto-kun that I am very proud of how you're reacting to the news," Sarutobi never expected that Naruto will see his life the same way now that he realized that he was the Kyuubi Jinchuriki.

The young boy grinned sheepishly before shouting – without worries about the late hour – that Iruka-sensei had helped him a lot.

The boy had been misled by Mizuki to steal the forbidden scroll, luckily Sarutobi had come across Iruka whom he asked for help to search for Naruto without raising any alarm.

Half an hour later, a heavily bruised Iruka and Naruto walked into the room. Yet, the boy was grinning widely. Tied around his forehead was an old hiai-te. Judging by the forehead protector missing on Iruka, it must be his.

Iruka then launched into the story of how Naruto was tricked by Mizuki and how he arrived just in time for Naruto to learn the Kage-Bunshin no Jutsu. His explaining was not made easy when Naruto kept interrupting and adding minor and unnecessary details.

Hiruzen thought about the young Chuunin who just left ten minutes ago.

Even though the academy instructor wasn't very apt in combat, but he seemed able to relate well with the younger generations.

Maybe he should talk to him about a promotion...

The musings, and the general happy mood of the Hokage, was ruined when there was a loud rumble that shook the entire building. The alarms started to blare and the sprinkler seals hidden in the room, sprayed the office with water.

Suddenly, an air-blade slashed in two the chair he had been sitting on. And the plant he had used for a Kawarimi.

He looked at the door. Inside the door frame he could clearly see Danzo.

Danzo! Impossible...

The man was his friend. Hiruzen has saved Danzo's life again and again during the wars. The ANBU commander had done the same for him at least as many times. But that jutsu...

He knew that jutsu, one of the few Danzo invented himself.

"Danzo?"

The name was out of Hiruzen's lips sounding almost like a pray. It couldn't have been possible!

"Yes, Hiruzen. Me," Danzo said, stepping into the raining room. The water sprinkling from above slowly trickled down his stony face. "You have let the Village grow weaker. I had to do something."

A few seconds later, the room was stormed with blood-spattered Uchiha and ROOT shinobi, all surrounding the Hokage. Finally, an annoyed Uchiha Fugaku entered the room and stood a few steps behind Danzo. Fugaku muttered, "Urimo Iruka," upon Danzo's raised eyebrow at the sprinklers.

Sarutobi's eye fell outside the window, facing the village where, many civilians and shinobi were coming out from their homes into the street and staring at the tower. The ANBU were alert clutching their swords, speaking into the radio. But, no one was approaching the tower. Surely, Danzo's men were misleading them to stay away.

In Hiruzen's shocked state Danzo's next attack would have surely hit him. But the Hokage regained focus and dodged the attack when he heard Naruto shouts.

"Who are you? How dare you attack Hokage-jiji! Die! Kage Bunshin no jutsu!"

Suddenly the room was full of copies of the blond. One Naruto or one hundred Naruto weren't so different for Danzo and the conspirators. But, they bought Hiruzen enough time to think about his next move.

The sprinklers suddenly stopped.

The Hokage did some hand-signs and spat a little fireball directly in front of Danzo eyes. The move, while not doing any kind of damage, blinded the ANBU commander for a while.

Hiruzen did not choose to keep fighting, deciding that protecting Naruto was more important than killing the traitors, at the moment.

He grabbed the original, easily recognizing him from the tracking seal integrated into the Shiki Fuijin, and shattering the glass window behind him, ready to escape with two well-timed Shunshin.

Before, he flickered away, Danzo charged towards him grabbing a holstered tanto from the back of his ROOT Subordinate and flung it at the Hokage.

The Hokage and the Genin disappeared…along with the thrown blade.

Danzo stared at the ceiling, "He is on the roof." He stated simply, before he could anything else, Sarutobi reappeared, crashing through the half-broken window, now dressed in his battle armor and the kabuto helmet, he twirled around his Bo staff and looked Danzo in the eye, a challenging glare.

They knew, _a clone._ But, he had to distract them, while the original nursed his injury and the second clone took Naruto to Kakashi. Distract them for as long as possible.

With a swirl of the clone's staff, the doors of the room slammed shut, the metal shutters of the windows crashed down, boxing them in the room.

* * *

**Kakashi**

Hatake Kakashi was still dressed in his Jounin outfit, less the flak jacket. He was standing on the roof of his apartment along with the other dozen or so Jounin.

His eye, the only part of his exposed face was focused on the burning tower. He looked around him to see the ANBU and the Jounin standing on the roofs and poles of the other buildings, charging their feet with chakra and ready to jump in. But, the voice on the radio kept saying otherwise.

"_Do not approach Tower Red. I repeat, do not approach Tower Red."_

Kakashi frowned.

"_The attack is a distraction, focus on the village gates. All ANBU and Jounin are assigned to the gate watch. There is a high probability of an attack from outside. Do not approach Tower Red. All Chuunin are to take command over Genin and are requested in evacuating the village to the safety tunnels."_

The Ninja leapt into action, following their designated actions. The civilians were confused, but the Chuunin and Genin came forward bringing order to the panic and confusion. The ANBU and Jounin started to race towards their nearest gates, but suddenly stopped in their tracks when they heard another voice on the radio.

"Hiroshi, Is that you?"Kakashi spoke into the handset.

"_Yes, it's me, Kakashi."_

Kakashi wasted no time in asking his next question."Your daughter died fourteen years ago. What was her name?"

There was a pause for two seconds, hundreds of heads turned at once to the tower. This was protocol, to double check the radio base. In that two seconds every seasoned Shinobhi and Kunoichi narrowed their eyes at the burning red tower. Every weapon drawn. Was the base compromised?

Two seconds later came the reply. _"It's Amane. I understand your dilemma, Kakashi, but you must hur – "_

Kakashi cancelled the signal, tuning to the emergency frequency, he declared as he shot forward towards the tower. "Tower Red is compromised! All battle stations alert! ANBU and Jounin, head to Tower Red! I repeat, Tower Red is compromised! Protect the Hokage!"

Like a huge tidal wave, hundreds of Konoha Shinobi and Kunoichi at once raced towards the tower.

"_How did you know, Kakashi?"_ It was Gai.

His sharingan exposed, Kakashi hissed into the radio. "Yes, his daughter's name was Amane, but she died _ten _years ago," And if it was the real Hiroshi whom he was speaking to, he would have corrected the question.

The shinobi raced faster, their eyes focused on the burning tower, now confirmed of the danger.

Suddenly, something black and orange crashed into Kakashi, hurling him to the ground. Drawing out a Kunai as he regained his footing, he placed it to the attacker's neck.

He suddenly blinked as the black clad man and the orange bundle faced him. It was the Hokage carrying Naruto.

Hatake Kakashi was surprised to see his leader safe, with a twelve year old on his shoulder.

But then, the Hokage spoke just after he made a camouflage seal concealing the trio, "I'm just a Bunshin." From his back, Naruto dropped to his feet and started to whine about how Hokage-jiji was not supposed to die.

The street they were in was almost cleared. Overhead, the shinobi and Kunoichi flew towards the tower.

"Danzo... A Coup..." the Hokage's clone said.

He had Kakashi's full focus now.

"Naruto was with me when he attacked. He is in mortal danger. Take him out the Village, protect him. I have sustained a heavy wound and am not sure if this Bunshin would sustain any longer. Kakashi, I may die tonight. If Danzo becomes Hokage... I issue order Omega."

Kakashi nodded once.

The Sarutobi's clone stared at the roof of the tower where a full scale battle was raging.

It seemed to be a touching moment for Kakashi when the both of them tried to antagonize this plan. One of the few whom the Hokage could trust. It was almost heart-warming.

"Silence, Naruto." Sarutobi said.

The shouting of "You can't die, Old Man" stopped abruptly, and when Sarutobi moved, Naruto was lying on his back on the ground, passed out.

"It will be easier to transport." was Hiruzen's casual answer.

Kakashi picked Naruto up and arranged him on his back.

"Every division in the village is infiltrated with ROOT, Kakashi. If it wasn't for Iruka they might have succeeded in their plan to assassinate me. Even I don't whom to trust. My son, his fiancée, Anko, Gai, you... maybe the old Ino-Shika-Cho. I don't know how spread his Danzo's organization in the Village... Protect Naruto, that's the most important thing right now. Do you know how to leave the Village undetected?"

"Yes. We will have to go east."

The Sandaime's clone nodded.

"It was an honor, Kakashi." the Hokage said.

"The honor was mine, Hokage-sama.", Kakashi said before heading east, just as the Bunshin dispelled behind him.

* * *

**Sarutobi**

The Hokage, now alone on the roof of the burning building, was dealing with the turmoil of feeling he felt. He had been betrayed, by a man he considered a dear friend; but it wasn't the betrayal itself destroying him.

Wincing out of extreme pain, he pulled out the Tanto blade that Danzo ad thrown, impaled in his chest.

Hiruzen had failed. He hadn't noticed the enemy within; he had been too trustful.

The old man thought back to his past. One mistake after the other. Orochimaru, he had been too proud of his student to notice what he had become. Jiraya, he had been too focused on an unworthy boy to notice the most deserving of his students. Tsunade, he had left her alone in despair. Minato. Kushina. Biwako. His first born - Yoshi and his wife Chie. Asuma. Konohamaru. Naruto.

Every mistake had a face in his mind. And every face was looking at him with hope in its eyes. Hope he couldn't possibly give, not any more.

He hadn't been what Hashirama-sensei and Tobirama-sensei expected him to be.

He knew he could find help somewhere in the Village, but the price would be too high. People loyal to him would fight against people loyal to Danzo, destroying Konoha with their own hands. -The ANBU commander plans well-, thought Hiruzen bitterly.

The only possible outcome was Konoha destruction. Or the ninja of Konoha will destroy Konoha, or the other ninja villages will destroy Konoha. Hiruzen had to die. Because his death was life to the Village.

The sudden sight of the sea of rushing shinobi distracted Hiruzen from his thoughts. The Hokage let himself hope for a moment. If only he could get some more time! He could set a lot of things straight.

He could talk with his son. He could help Konohamaru with his feelings. Tell to Jiraya and Tsunade a lot of things he should have said sooner. He could save Naruto from his lonely hell.

Then the memories of the two dispelled clones came to him and from behind him, the Uchiha and ROOT attacked.

He was alone. He would not get any help. Two of the people that would help him were escaping from the Village. Going to the others only meant to kill them. He was alone. But, a Hokage is always a force to be reckoned with. Hiruzen would not go down without a fight.

When the first shuriken hit the ground the old man made his move.

A phoenix of fire was on them soon. Two of the three attackers were able to escape the blast. One wasn't so lucky. The fire was destroying his right leg. Hiruzen put him out of the fight with a quick punch at the base of the neck.

Another Uchiha found himself dead after a few seconds of clashing steel. The only thing that signaled that Hiruzen had fought was a missing kunai. The kunai that was now planted deeply inside the Uchiha's ribcage.

The third victim, a ROOT was astounded by the display of skill, power and speed. So astounded that Hiruzen got enough time to kill him with a powerful kick at the right temple.

The Hokage didn't spare a glance at their bodies, his eyes focused on the remaining assembling Uchiha and ROOT on the building and behind them, Fugaku and Danzo.

* * *

**Fugaku**

They were fighting with the Hokage for the past two minutes.

Fugaku had thought it would have been easy. Twenty-seven against one.

The already injured Hokage would be dead in second, before even the racing shinobi approached the tower. There was still hope! And Danzo, like he promised would bring to the shinobi. True, they can't go with the original plan to blame it on Iwa. If they killed the Hokage, the shinobi will look for a new leader, yes. And Danzo's could somehow manage to convince the village why he had to do it, maybe he will falsify evidence against the Hokage. Yes, yes, that would be it.

The Hokage was a weak man and he will be easily put down.

But, now on the roof, eighteen of his clansmen were dead. Killed by fire, steel or earth. Enma, the fearsome summon of the Monkey Contract of the Sarutobi clan, was making the formidable opponent even more formidable.

The summon had saved the Hokage's life again and again. His torso, coming out from the bo staff, had stopped swords and ranged attacks.

Fugaku darted forward and then left, avoiding an earth justu that would have pierced his heart thanks to the sharingan. He kept on running towards the Hokage, hoping that someone was going to help him.

Uchiha Inabi, using a Shushin, was able to distract the Hokage. Fugaku was almost able to taste victory, his sword was almost close enough to stab the Hokage. He was sent back flying by a powerful kick from Enma.

The Hokage was a blur hitting an Uchiha after the other. He was amazingly strong. But he was getting slower. Ninja battless were meant to be short, using jutsu after jutsu had to be taking its toll.

He ordered his clansmen to let the close range fight to him, while they kept their distance and used long range jutsus and weapons.

The ROOT, Fugaku, noticed were no longer involving themselves in the battle. They close to stay by Danzo's side idly watching the scene. Fugaku shook himself and focused on the current threat.

His sharingan was getting better at reading the Hokage's movement. The fight and the stab had made the Hokage sluggish, but the Uchiha were getting better at reading his movements.

Fugaku was able to see the next moments clearly. He could see Inabi and Yashiro attacking the Hokage with a flurry of slashes. He could see the Hokage jumping back. He could see his clansmen attacking him with a volley of kunai and shuriken. And he could see Inabi pierce him in his liver, hidden by the sudden metallic cover.

Walking towards the Hokage, Fugaku Uchiha felt pride. Pride in his accomplishments and in his clansmen.

The Hokage was strangely calm, as he suddenly snapped Inabi's neck, before falling on the ground and leaning back on the railing of the roof.

"How many of your men have I killed, Fugaku?"

Fugaku did not answer. Of the fifty-three of his clansmen who attacked the tower, thirty-eight of his clansmen were dead, eight were in dire need of a medic.

"Too many, then."

The Hokage moved. Fugaku jumped back, sharingan flashing red once again in his eyes.

"Easy, easy. I want only to smoke one last time."

He prepared the pipe with ease, not like a dying man, and he started smoking. Fugaku had to steel himself.

How many times he had seen the Hokage sited in his office, smoking peacefully. But that was not the time to lose oneself in memories.

"My wife was always telling me that this would have killed me."

Hiruzen said, pointing his gaze at the smoke. He looked down then, with an almost dismissive glance at his wounded side.

"It seems she was wrong. Why, Fugaku? Why so many deaths?"

"For the glory of Konoha."

The Hokage looked angry now. Fugaku almost jumped back subconsciously, the old man had been his leader for almost forty years, after all.

"For your pride. You know nothing of Konoha, or the Will of Fire. You are only a fool, you and all your clansmen. You are only a pawn, and you don't know it. He had always a talent in choosing his pawns."

Then, the ROOT stepped forward, each of them approaching a surviving Uchiha, without warning placing their blades on the necks, they slashed as one, and the remaining Uchiha fell dead at once.

Suddenly, the roof was covered with ANBU and shinobi, who had arrived just in time to witness the death of the Hokage and the last surviving Uchiha.

That was the last thing Uchiha Fugaku saw before Danzo stabbed him in the back, "_For the glory of Konoha!_" Danzo hissed as Fugaku widened his eyes.

And before Fugaku fell, the tomoe-seal broke and the memories flowed.

A single tear rolled down his cheek as he fell on his knees. "Mikoto…" He whispered as he remembered killing his own wife. He never had used the Mangekyo, it had all been for nothing. He then fell to the ground and moved no more.

* * *

**Danzo**

Danzo Shimura looked down at the bloodied, crumpled figure of Sarutobi. His plan had been successful after all. The Hokage was dead. His last breath coming out in a puff of smoke.

The pipe he was smoking since that moment was on the ground. He had spit it with his own blood during a coughing fit.

The shinobi who just arrived had moved to help the dying Hokage, but stopped when he shooed them away, still coughing.

But he still had strength. He had spoken once more before passing. Danzo gripped the blade tight in his hand, he feared that the Hokage would tell the dozens of assembled shinobi and ANBU that it had been Danzo's plan all along.

The assembled shinobi had started to think that ROOT had arrived just in time to stop the Uchiha Coup, but, Sarutobi didn't tell any of the truth. He instead had said to Danzo:

"I am dying Danzo, but before I go I want to remind you of a teaching of Hashirama-sensei," He said 'Where the leaf dance, the Will of Fire burn'. The leaf will dance, and the fires will burn. And you with it."

While carefully preparing the next step of the plan Danzo couldn't help but think that, maybe, his rival had bested him. Even in death.

* * *

**WRITTEN BY**

**darkermercenary**

* * *

**PROOF-READ BY**

**Duesal Bladeslinger**

* * *

**STORY IDEA BY**

**Igor0031**

* * *

**Next: _Chapter 2 - Secrets and Lies_**


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